The Trump administration has made important progress in loosening the federal government’s grip on private health insurance, freeing up more options for affordable health insurance. But the administration has veered off this free-market track with its recent proposal to, among other things, slap a form of imported price controls on a specific class of prescription drugs in Medicare. To its … [Read more...] about Trump’s Misguided Solution to Drug Prices
Prescription Drugs
Amgen Announces Major Price Cut For Its Breakthrough Cholesterol Drug
By Grace-Marie Turner— The Trump administration continues to work overtime to lower prescription drug costs for consumers. In response, some pharmaceutical companies have announced rollbacks of price increases, cuts in prices, price freezes, or other ways to improve affordability for patients. In the latest example, Amgen, a leading biologics company, is stepping forward to bring down prices … [Read more...] about Amgen Announces Major Price Cut For Its Breakthrough Cholesterol Drug
Save The Safety Net Drug Program For Patients Who Need Help
A poster on the side of a bus stop in downtown Washington D.C. read: “Let 340B,” clearly a sign of an organized campaign asking Congress not to interfere with the gravy train for some hospital systems that this obscure provision has become. The safety net drug program, usually referred to as 340B for the section authorizing it in the Public Health Service Act, was created by Congress in 1992 to … [Read more...] about Save The Safety Net Drug Program For Patients Who Need Help
A Surgical Approach To High Prescription Drug Prices
President Trump’s plan to lower prescription drug costs uses a surgeon’s scalpel to address a range of issues, offering nearly 30 policy recommendations to modernize payment policies, weed out counter-productive regulations, improve price transparency, and expand competitive price negotiations. The plan reflects the complexity of the industry and the regulatory system that governs government … [Read more...] about A Surgical Approach To High Prescription Drug Prices
Drug Companies Need To Do Their Jobs
President Trump emphasized during his State of the Union address his determination to fulfill a campaign promise to lower prescription drug prices. His administration already is making progress: Food and Drugs Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is leading his agency to dramatically accelerate approval of generic drugs. Competition in generic drugs – which make up 87% of drug consumption in the U.S. … [Read more...] about Drug Companies Need To Do Their Jobs
Price Transparency Is Critical to Drug Pricing Solutions
Prescription drug costs are a hot political issue, not as much because of the share of the U.S. health care dollar they consume but because consumers pay a larger share of their drug costs out of pocket than they do for other health care. The lack of price transparency for prescription drugs is a large part of the problem, and making pricing more transparent throughout the process could help in … [Read more...] about Price Transparency Is Critical to Drug Pricing Solutions
Biosimilar Drugs Offer Promise For Drug Price Savings, But Risks Remain
The issue of prescription drug prices continues to top the list of public concerns about health costs, and Congress and the administration are floating possible policy solutions. Solutions to this complex problem will be most effective if they are targeted and geared toward encouraging rather than undermining competition and innovation in the vibrant 21st century life sciences industry. One … [Read more...] about Biosimilar Drugs Offer Promise For Drug Price Savings, But Risks Remain
More and better information can enhance patient care
With Congress intensely focused on big decisions involving health reform legislation, it’s easy to miss other initiatives that are quietly moving through Congress which could make a major contribution to achieving the goals of health reform One example is a measure offered by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) that would open the lines of communication between biopharmaceutical, medical device, and … [Read more...] about More and better information can enhance patient care